Database Query Results : Shikonin, , JNK

SK, Shikonin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
The (R)-enantiomer of alkannin is known as shikonin, and the racemic mixture of the two is known as shikalkin.
Shikonin is a naphthoquinone derivative primarily isolated from the roots of plants in the Boraginaceae family (e.g., Lithospermum erythrorhizon).
Shikonin is the main active component of a Chinese medicinal plant 'Zi Cao'
-Shikonin is a major component of zicao (purple gromwell, the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon), a Chinese herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory properties
-Quinone methides (QMs) are highly reactive intermediates formed from natural compounds like shikonin
-ic50 cancer cells 1-10uM, normal cells >10uM

-known as Glycolysis inhibitor: ( inhibit pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2*******), a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway)

Available from mcsformulas.com Shikonin Pro Liposomal, 30 mg
Also In Glycolysis Inhibithree(100 mg PHLORIZIN,10 mg TANSHINONE IIA, 8 mg Shikonin)

-Note half-life15-30mins or 8hr?.
BioAv low, poor water solubility
Pathways:
- usually induce ROS production in cancer cells, and reduce ROS in normal cells.
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓,
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, TrxR↓**, SOD↓, GSH↓ Catalase↓ GPx4↓
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : NLRP3↓, IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, IGF-1↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, FAK↓, NF-κB↓, TGF-β↓, ERK↓
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, ERK↓, JNK, P53↑,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance
1 PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis (Warburg metabolism) Energy / biomass restriction Key, repeatedly reported mechanism: shikonin suppresses PKM2 activity and PKM2-driven glycolysis in multiple tumor models, with downstream growth inhibition and apoptosis
2 ROS accumulation / oxidative stress ↑ ROS Redox overload Common upstream trigger that drives mitochondrial dysfunction and regulated cell death programs; often precedes necroptosis/apoptosis signaling
3 Necroptosis core cascade (RIPK1 → RIPK3 → MLKL) Programmed necrotic cell death Strong evidence across cancers (e.g., leukemia and nasopharyngeal carcinoma): shikonin increases RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL expression/activation; necroptosis inhibitors can blunt the effect
4 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) Mitochondrial dysfunction ROS-linked depolarization; acts as a pivot into intrinsic apoptosis and other death programs
5 Intrinsic apoptosis (BAX/BAK → Caspase-9/3) Programmed cell death Frequently observed; often framed as ROS → mitochondrial damage → caspase-dependent apoptosis
6 PKM2/STAT3 signaling axis Reduced survival & proliferation signaling In ESCC and related models, shikonin suppresses PKM2-driven glycolysis and down-modulates STAT3 pathway activity
7 NF-κB pathway Reduced pro-survival transcription Reported as part of multi-target suppression of inflammatory/anti-apoptotic programs in several tumor models and reviews
8 PI3K–AKT (± mTOR) Growth & resistance pathway inhibition Often described as sensitizing cells to apoptosis/TRAIL; may be secondary to oxidative stress and metabolic collapse
9 Stress MAPKs (JNK / p38) Pro-death stress signaling Common downstream response to ROS; can reinforce apoptosis and other death outcomes
10 Ferroptosis-related axis (lipid peroxidation; GPX4) ↑ lipid perox / ↓ GPX4 Iron-dependent oxidative death Reported prominently for acetylshikonin (a shikonin derivative): ROS-associated lipid peroxidation with reduced GPX4 expression alongside RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL activation
11 Endoplasmic reticulum stress (UPR / ERS) Proteotoxic stress signaling Frequently mentioned in leukemia-focused mechanism summaries and broader reviews as contributory to growth arrest and death
12 Multiple regulated death programs (apoptosis / necroptosis / ferroptosis / pyroptosis) ↑ (context-dependent) Broader cell-death engagement Recent reviews emphasize that shikonin can engage several programmed cell death modalities depending on cell context and dosing
Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis (Warburg metabolism) ↓ PKM2 activity / ↓ glycolysis Energy & biomass restriction Demonstrates shikonin (and analogs) inhibit cancer glycolysis, reducing glucose consumption/lactate production via PKM2 targeting (ref)
2 PKM2 → STAT3 signaling axis ↓ PKM2-driven signaling / ↓ STAT3 pathway Reduced survival & proliferation ESCC study: shikonin suppresses PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis and regulates PKM2/STAT3 signaling (ref)
3 Necroptosis (RIPK1 → RIPK3 → MLKL) ↑ RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL Programmed necrotic cell death Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: shikonin induces necroptosis with upregulation of RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL (with ROS involvement) (ref)
4 ROS accumulation ↑ ROS Oxidative stress trigger Colon cancer model: shikonin increases intracellular ROS; ROS functions upstream of apoptosis (ref)
5 Mitochondrial apoptosis (Caspase-9/3) ↑ Caspase-9/3 Programmed cell death Same colon cancer study shows shikonin increases caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity (mitochondria-mediated apoptosis) (ref)
6 ER stress / UPR (PERK → eIF2α → CHOP) Proteotoxic stress apoptosis signaling Colon cancer: shikonin-induced apoptosis mediated by PERK/eIF2α/CHOP ER-stress pathway (ref)
7 Autophagic flux (autophagosome–lysosome completion) ↓ autophagic flux (blocked) ROS + apoptosis amplification Colorectal cancer: shikonin induces ROS and apoptosis by inhibiting autophagic flux (ref)
8 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activity Reduced pro-survival transcription Pancreatic cancer xenograft/mechanistic study: shikonin suppresses NF-κB activity and NF-κB–regulated gene products (ref)
9 PI3K–AKT–mTOR (stemness / chemoresistance axis) ↓ PI3K/AKT/mTOR Reduced survival & stemness Chemoresistant lung cancer CSC context: shikonin attenuates PI3K–Akt–mTOR pathway and reduces cancer stemness (ref)
10 Cell cycle control (p21; G2/M arrest) ↑ p21 / ↑ G2/M arrest Proliferation block Gastric cancer (AGS): shikonin induces cell-cycle arrest linked to p21 regulation (ref)
11 Invasion / metastasis programs (NF-κB-linked) ↓ invasion Anti-invasive phenotype Reports shikonin inhibits tumor invasion via down-regulation of NF-κB–related mechanisms in a high-metastatic tumor model (ref)
12 Chemosensitization via glycolysis suppression ↓ glycolysis / ↑ cisplatin sensitivity Combination benefit NSCLC: shikonin inhibits glycolysis and sensitizes cells to cisplatin (explicitly connecting metabolic suppression to chemosensitization) (ref)


JNK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK): Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
JNK acts synergistically with NF-κB, JAK/STAT, and other signaling molecules to exert a survival function. Janus signaling promotes cancer cell survival.
JNK, or c-Jun N-terminal kinase, is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. It plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis (programmed cell death). JNK is activated in response to various stress signals, such as UV radiation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines.
JNK activation can promote apoptosis in cancer cells, acting as a tumor suppressor. However, in other contexts, it can promote cell survival and proliferation, contributing to tumor progression.

JNK is often unregulated in cancers, leading to increased cancer cell proliferation, survival, and resistance to apoptosis. This activation is typically associated with poor prognosis and aggressive tumor behavior.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2355- SK,    Pharmacological properties and derivatives of shikonin-A review in recent years
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, anticancer effects on various types of cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation and migration, inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis.
TumCP↓,
TumCMig↓,
Apoptosis↑,
TumAuto↑,
Necroptosis↑,
ROS↑, Shikonin also triggers Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation
TrxR1↓, inhibiting the activation of TrxR1, PKM2, RIP1/3, Src, and FAK
PKM2↓,
RIP1↓,
RIP3↓,
Src↓,
FAK↓,
PI3K↓, modulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPKs signaling;
Akt↓, shikonin induced a dose-dependent reduction of miR-19a to inhibit the activity of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway
mTOR↓,
GRP58↓, shikonin induced apoptosis in human myeloid cell line HL-60 cells through downregulating the expression of ERS protein ERP57 (42).
MMPs↓, hikonin suppressed cell migration through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and reducing the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9
ATF2↓, shikonin inhibited cell proliferation and tumor growth through suppressing the ATF2 pathway
cl‑PARP↑, shikonin significantly upregulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins cleaved PARP and caspase-3 and increased cell apoptosis through increasing the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and JNK, and inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK
Casp3↑,
p‑p38↑,
p‑JNK↑,
p‑ERK↓,

2231- SK,    Shikonin Exerts Cytotoxic Effects in Human Colon Cancers by Inducing Apoptotic Cell Death via the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria-Mediated Pathways
- in-vitro, CRC, SNU-407
Apoptosis↑, Shikonin induced apoptotic cell death by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase family members
ER Stress↑, apoptotic process was mediated by the activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress
PERK↑, leading to activation of the PERK/elF2α/CHOP apoptotic pathway, and mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation.
eIF2α↑,
CHOP↑,
mt-Ca+2↑,
MMP↓, Shikonin increased mitochondrial membrane depolarization
Bcl-2↓, decrease in B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and an increase in Bcl-2-associated X protein, and subsequently, increased expression of cleaved forms of caspase-9 and -3.
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
ERK↑, Shikonin treatment activated ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK in a time-dependent manner
JNK↑,
p38↓,

2228- SK,    Shikonin induced Apoptosis Mediated by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Colorectal Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, CRC, HCT116 - in-vitro, CRC, HCT15 - in-vivo, NA, NA
Apoptosis↑, shikonin induced cell apoptosis by down-regulating BCL-2 and activating caspase-3/9 and the cleavage of PARP.
Bcl-2↓,
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
GRP78/BiP↑, The expression of BiP and the PERK/elF2α/ATF4/CHOP and IRE1α /JNK signaling pathways were upregulated after shikonin treatment.
PERK↑,
eIF2α↑,
ATF4↑,
CHOP↑,
JNK↑,
eff↓, pre-treatment with N-acetyl cysteine significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of shikonin
ER Stress↑, Shikonin induced endoplasmic reticulum stress
ROS↑, Shikonin induced reactive oxygen species-mediated ER stress
TumCG↓, Shikonin suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer cells in vivo

5102- SK,  GEM,    Shikonin suppresses tumor growth and synergizes with gemcitabine in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model: Involvement of NF-κB signaling pathway
TumCG↓, shikonin alone significantly suppressed tumor growth and argumented the antitumor activity of gemcitabine.
ChemoSen↑,
NF-kB↓, down-regulation of NF-κB activity and its target genes, decreased proliferation (PCNA and Ki-67)
PCNA↓,
Ki-67↓,
p‑EGFR↓, suppress EGFR phosphorylation [26], generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) [27], [28], arrest the cell cycle through p53 upregulation
ROS↑,
TumCCA↑,
P53↑,
JNK↑, activate the stress-related c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway [30], and inactivate Akt and NF-κB pathways
Akt↓,

3042- SK,    The protective effects of Shikonin on lipopolysaccharide/D -galactosamine-induced acute liver injury via inhibiting MAPK and NF-kB and activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*TNF-α↓, Our results showed that SHK treatment distinctly decreased serum TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6 and IFN-g inflammatory cytokine production
*IL1β↓,
*IL6↓,
*IFN-γ↓,
*ALAT↓, , reduced serum ALT, AST, hepatic MPO and ROS production levels,
*AST↓,
*MPO↓,
*ROS↓,
*JNK↓, inhibited JNK1/2, ERK1/2, p38 and NF-kB (p65) phosphorylation, and suppressed IkBa phosphorylation and degradation.
*ERK↓,
*p38↓,
*NF-kB↓,
*p‑IKKα↓,
*SOD↑, SHK could dramatically increase SOD and GSH production, as well as reduce ROS production,
*GSH↑,
*HO-1↑, through up-regulating the protein expression of HO-1, Nqo1, Gclc and Gclm, which was related to the induction of Nrf2 nuclear translocation.
*NRF2↑,
*hepatoP↑,

2196- SK,    Research progress in mechanism of anticancer action of shikonin targeting reactive oxygen species
- Review, Var, NA
*ALAT↓, shikonin was found to mitigate the rise in ALT and AST levels triggered by LPS/GalN
*AST↓,
*Inflam?, demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of shikonin within two traditional mouse models frequently employed in pharmacological research to assess anti-inflammatory activities
*EMT↑, Shikonin stimulates EMT by weakening the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65
ROS?, naphthoquinone framework possesses the capacity to produce ROS, which in turn modulate cellular oxidative stress levels
TrxR1↓, Duan and colleagues demonstrated that shikonin specifically inhibits the physiological function of TrxR1 by targeting its Sec residue
PERK↑, In vivo Western blot of HCT-15(colon cancer) xenografts showed shikonin upregulated PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP and IRE1α/JNK pathways.
eIF2α↑,
ATF4↑,
CHOP↑,
IRE1↑,
JNK↑,
eff↝, oral shikonin did not demonstrate anti-tumor effects in the colorectal cancer model, intraperitoneal injection significantly inhibited tumor growth.
DR5↑, upregulation of Death Receptor 5 (DR5) in cholangiocarcinoma cells through ROS-induced activation of the JNK signaling cascade.
Glycolysis↓, inhibited glycolysis in HepG2 cells by suppressing the activity of PKM2, a critical enzyme within the glycolytic pathway
PKM2↓,
ChemoSen↑, The combination of shikonin with drugs can reverse drug resistance and enhance therapeutic efficacy
GPx4↓, shikonin conjunction with cisplatin overcame drug resistance in cancer cells, downregulated GPX4, and upregulated haemoglobin oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) inducing iron death in cells.
HO-1↑,


* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 6

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

GPx4↓, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   ROS?, 1,   ROS↑, 3,   TrxR1↓, 2,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

MMP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

Glycolysis↓, 1,   PKM2↓, 2,  

Cell Death

Akt↓, 2,   Apoptosis↑, 3,   ATF2↓, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Casp3↑, 3,   Casp9↑, 2,   DR5↑, 1,   GRP58↓, 1,   JNK↑, 4,   p‑JNK↑, 1,   Necroptosis↑, 1,   p38↓, 1,   p‑p38↑, 1,   RIP1↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

CHOP↑, 3,   eIF2α↑, 3,   ER Stress↑, 2,   GRP78/BiP↑, 1,   IRE1↑, 1,   PERK↑, 3,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes

TumAuto↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

P53↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 2,   PCNA↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

ERK↑, 1,   p‑ERK↓, 1,   mTOR↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 1,   Src↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 2,  

Migration

mt-Ca+2↑, 1,   FAK↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   MMPs↓, 1,   RIP3↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

ATF4↑, 2,   p‑EGFR↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

NF-kB↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

ChemoSen↑, 2,   eff↓, 1,   eff↝, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

p‑EGFR↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

AntiCan↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 55

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

GSH↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   MPO↓, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

ALAT↓, 2,  

Cell Death

JNK↓, 1,   p38↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

EMT↑, 1,   ERK↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

IFN-γ↓, 1,   p‑IKKα↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   Inflam?, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

ALAT↓, 2,   AST↓, 2,   IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

hepatoP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 22

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: JNK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)
6 Shikonin
1 Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:150  Target#:168  State#:%  Dir#:%
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